Amid the turmoil sparked by the October 7 attack last year between Hamas and Israel, tensions in the Middle East have escalated. On Thursday, October 17, 2024, the Israeli Forces claimed that they had killed Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza.
Notably, Yahya Sinwar was among the significant political figures from Hamas. He was also the mastermind of the October 7 attack last year.
Israeli Military Confirms Yahya Sinwar No More!
The Israeli Military celebrated his elimination and said, “After a long pursuit the Israeli troops eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, in an operation in the Southern Gaza Strip”.
According to the sources, he has been killed during a military operation in Rafah, Southern Gaza Strip. It targeted the Hamas figures. The Israeli Defense Forces engaged in a gunfight with Sinwar and two other militants. The fight resulted in their deaths.
While the reports from Israeli media claimed that after a year-long manhunt, Yahya Sinwar was a prime target for Israel. He was killed by chance by regular IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) soldiers.
The IDF has recently also released footage, purportedly capturing the ‘final moments’ of Yahya Sinwar. In the video, e was seen sitting on a couch surrounded by wreckage, inside a dilapidated apartment. During his final moments, he was seen throwing an object at the drone.
What Israeli PM Reacted?
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the death of the Hamas leader. He stated that this move marks ‘the beginning of the day after Hamas’. He further also warned that his death would not mark the end of the war in the Gaza Strip unless Hamas releases all its hostages.
“Yahya Sinwar is dead.
He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces.
While this is not the end of the war in Gaza. It’s the beginning of the end,” said the Israeli PM on his X handle.
Many Israeli public figures also reacted to this news with excitement and celebration over the elimination of the Hamas leader.
Who was Yahya Sinwar?
Yahya Sinwar was reportedly a key long-term player of the Hamas group. He was born in a refugee camp in 1962 in Khan Younis, Southern Gaza. During Nakba in 1948, which was a mass displacement of Palestinians during the Israel-Arab War, Sinwar’s family was forced to move and became refugees.
In the 1980s Sinwar joined Hamas, when it was formed, and became a political activist. He was also arrested and given four life sentences for attempted murder and sabotage.
He spent 22 years in an Israeli prison, where he learned Hebrew and read Israeli news. In 2011, after being released in a prisoner swap, he got married had children, and returned to Hamas.
In 2015, he was designated a global terrorist by the US Department of State and the European Union. In recent years, Sinwar was sanctioned by the United Kingdom and France.
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Kanishka Malhotra is a seasoned journalist with a deep passion for reporting and uncovering the truth. With a specialization in research and investigative Journalism, she has covered wide range of topics related to social issues, travel, lifestyle, technology, Entertainment and much more. She believes to express and share her creativity to the world through words. With relentless pursuit of knowing and uncovering the truth, Kanishka continues to leave a mark in the world of journalism.
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